Printing-press



'S.P.RUGGLES PRINTING PRESS.

No.9,904. Patented Aug. 2 1858. 7

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

STEPHEN P. RUGGLES, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PRINTING-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,904, dated August 2, 1858.

represents an end view of the platen detached from the press.

Similar letters in the several figures represent the same parts.

The nature of my invention consists, in the so arranging of a series of diverging springs upon a plate extending across the rear or lower part of the platen, as that they will make a guide for the paper when it is sliding on to the tympan, said springs allowing of being forced down by the paper holder, so as to be condensed between the type and the furniture of the press.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, 1 will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

Through the top of a frame A, of suitable construction, and resting upon its journals in said frame, l place a shaft, the ends of which project outside of said frame, and upon which ends are placed the circular plates B B, turning with said shaft. The arms O, O, are connected by means of pins in one of their ends to the circular plates B, B, at points eccentric with the shaft upon which they turn-the other ends of said arms being attached to the journals of the eccentric shaft P, which passes through the platen D, so that when motion is given to the shaft upon which the circular plates are secured, by a crank, belt, or other device, it will by means of the arms O, C, impart a vibrating motion to the platen.

In the rear of the frame of the machine, and extending from side to side thereof, is a rock shaft E, having its bearings in said frame, and into which shaft are securely fastened the arms F F, which extend toward the front of the press, and have their ends at that point permanently attached to the platen, so as to make said platen vibrate in the arc of a circle which will bring it up to the form G which is arranged upon the face of a segment of a cylinder H, which said cylinder is permanently fixed to the frame A and through which cylinder, the shaft upon which the circular plates are fixed, and which gives motion to the machine may pass.

The inking rollers are, by a combination of parts well known, made to travel around the cylinder H, for the purpose of receiving and supplying ink to the form, but as they constitute no part of this invention and are not shown in the drawings, they need not be described.

To the center of the rock shaft- E, is attached by a set screw T, Fig. 2, a paper holder J, whlch has a slot in its end where it rests on the said rock shaft, and by means I of which slot and a set screw it may be adjusted to the size of the paper upon which 7 the impressions are to be made or taken.

On the face of the platen is arranged an L shaped gage K, having in its arm M, a slot a, through which passes a set screw Z), by which it is held and adjusted on the face of the platen. On said gage K, are arranged a series of diverging springs c, which when the platen is thrown back to receive the paper, rise up and form a guide for the paper as it is sliding on to the tympan. On the front end of the paper holder J, are arms projecting each side at right angles to said holder, and extending the whole length of the gage K, upon which gage the diverging springs are placed. Projecting underneath these arms upon the paper holder, is a ledge (Z, which when the platen is brought up by the operation of the press, fits, and is drawn up close against the said platen by means of a spiral or other spring N, which is attached by one of its ends to the said paper holder, and by the other end to the center of the stationary cross bar 0, which extends across the front of the frame, and forms with the tympan, as it were nippers for grasping and holding the paper. The recess in the arms of the paper holder J, fitting down upon, and compressing the springs 0, so as to bring them down below the type in the form.

Passing through the platen D, is an eccentric shaft P, Fig. 2, upon which the platen moves, and the axis of which eccentric, acts also as the axis of the platen. Upon one end of this eccentric shaft P, is attached a lever Q, which upon being drawn down, also draws down the axis of the platen sufficiently far to prevent it from reaching the form, by which device the impression can be stopped, without stopping the press. In the lever Q, is a set screw R, the end of which rests against a shoulder formed in the platen, and by which the platen may be so adjusted as to admit of taking a heavy or light impression as may be desired. The action of r the set screw R, and lever Q, being to raise or lower the platen, by turning the eccentric shaft P forward or back as may be desired. The eccentric shaft is here described as passing through the platen; it may be arranged behind or underneath the platen and produce the same result.

The operation is as follows, the paper guided by the diverging springs is placed on the tyinpan, when the platen is drawn up by the arms eccentrically arranged on the circular plates on the shaft which drives the press, until it reaches the paper holder, which by the resistance of the spiral spring, presses down the paper guides, and then clasps the paper between said holder and the tympan and holds it until it receives the impression, and falls back to nearly its lowest position when the paper holder is released by the relaxation of the spring and the sheet is removed. When it is desired to stop the impression the lever on the eccentric shaft which shaft passes through the platen is drawn down or nearly so, which lowers the platen on its axis so as to prevent it from reaching the form. When it is desired to make a heavy impression the set screw which is in the lever on the eccentric shaft is turned back, and when a light impression is desired it is turned forward which accomplishes the object. Instead of placing the sheet upon the vibrating platen, the form may be placed thereon and the stationary part of the press become the platen and still the same advantage in placing the sheet be attained.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the combination of The adjustable gage with the diverging springs for catching and guiding the edge of the sheet when it is sliding to its position, substantially as herein described.

STEPHEN P. RUGGLES.

Witnesses F. O. PRINCE, N. T. Dow. 

